Ambassador of the Year 2017

Global Leadership Adventures is thrilled to share the story of Teah Serani, our 2017 GLA Ambassador of the Year.

While serving as a Global Ambassador for GLA during the past year, Teah has not only shared her stories of service and community abroad with many prospective students, she has also exemplified the character and drive of a young leader ready to take on the world.

These qualities, and her committment to the program, led to Teah being awarded Ambassador of the Year.

In 2016, Teah first went on the Dominican Republic: Spring Break Service Adventure program, and realized that she could follow her passions and learn something new about herself and where she wanted to go in the world.

When asked what the most meaningful thing was that she got out of attending GLA's DR Spring Break program, Teah answered, "I found out that I was really interested in international service. I've always been interested in medicine, but I didn't realize that international service could be an interest for me too!"

The unique curriculum in the Dominican Republic, which combines hands-on service with in-depth learning about health and wellness outcomes in underserved communities, showed a path for tying a love for medicine together with a newfound dedication to service work.

After earning the Ambassador of the Year prize, Teah went to two GLA programs in Summer 2017.

First, Teah flew to Belize, where she got to spend a lot of time immersed with children in the community.

Describing the Belize: The Initiative for Children™ program as simply "awesome," her biggest takeaway was the deep connection she was able to form with young people there.

"You have the same kids every day, so you really get to bond with them."

Only a few days later, Teah was jetting off to South Africa to experience GLA's brand new program there.

We noticed a spike in interest from students in our South Africa program wanting to be an ambassador, so we know Teah made quite an impact on the ground with the group!

"We were such a close knit group," she recalled. "It made the whole experience worth it."

Teah was also particularly fond of her time on the excursion to the coast.

"The whole time I was in Cape Town was the best!"

So what's next for Teah?

"I hope to pursue a career in medicine, but I still want to do international service. I don't know yet if I want to work abroad or do something like Doctors Without Borders. I am hoping to figure that out during the next four years."

With plans to study at George Washington University this fall with a concentration in Biology/Pre-Med, and the dedication we've seen her give through three GLA programs, we're certain she'll succeed in whatever she sets her mind to.

Best of luck to you in college, Teah!